Why Ask Why

       Everyday there are people who go to the doctor whether they are ill or not. We get prescriptions which usually cost a fortune. Many people have insurance, be it government issued or private. Many people have no insurance. If you have insurance and the cost of your prescriptions are low, great. If not, then what? What if you really need antibiotics for an infection that is life threatening but you just don’t have the money? This is a pretty common thing.

I was curious so I did a little experiment. I called around to several different pharmacies in several different states and asked how much specific antibiotics cost. I googled the different ones out there and the quantity for an average treatment. I was at a loss. I could not believe how much they all cost and what was worse was that the generic for some, were even more costly than the name brand.

      A lot of people automatically assume that the generic will cost less so when they go to get their medicine, they don’t even think to ask about the name brands.

     I did the same experiment on pain medications, several types, different pharmacies, different states. It is just wrong! A person can get an assortment of painkillers extremely cheap but to get the necessary antibiotics to kill the infection that is causing your pain, that’s going to cost you a small fortune.

      Everyday I hear things, whether it is strangers chatting or on the news, about the Opioid epidemic. All of these people addicted to painkillers , many dying from it and of course, general consensus is that they are obviously bad people. No good, honest, decent person would have such an addiction. Give me a break! They need to be dolling out drugs to cure ignorance. See, if they did that, “they” would be out of business because people would wise up and realize what is happening. So I guess that is out of the question. I could go on quite a while on that subject but… back to the issue at hand. (which will lead right back here, haha Maybe the next blog)

      So anyway, I hear people going on and on about all of the druggies and low lives referring to the Opioid addicts and how they need to get their acts together or how they aren’t worth breathing the same air as the rest of us. WOW! Sure, some people just love to get high on whatever they can but not everyone. Some people only take the painkillers as they need to deal with actual, excruciating pain. The kicker is that these drugs that give us relief also, in turn, cause some of the same or new pain. Which eventually causes a person to need even more pain medicine or higher dosages. Yes, this can and usually does lead to addiction.

     It is only supposed to be a temporary fix until the root of the problem has been dealt with. Say, a horrible dental infection. If you don’t have insurance and happen to be less fortunate financially, you won’t be able to get the antibiotics needed to kill the infection let alone further treatment to actually repair the damage that caused the infection in the first place. However, you could recycle a bag of cans and have enough money to get your prescription of painkillers. Literally, I recycle so I know just what it pays. A full, large black trash bag full of crushed cans, in my area, will pay out an easy $6.00 which just so happens, is the exact same price of the Narcotic pain medication at a local pharmacy not too far from the recycling center. How Ironic.

      This is just one scenario, I mean after all, if you don’t happen to have the cans lying around, then what? Someone in excruciating pain is not likely to go hit the streets and collect the cans. They could of course pan handle ( another blog I will definitely get into, massive, huge pet peeve of mine) Anyway, I know there are many different ways all of this can play out but back to this specific example.

      So, 6 bucks, painkillers in hand. Mild, temporary relief for a few days, then what? Still cannot get the money for the antibiotics. This is how people end up in the emergency rooms trying to score painkillers for the pain they really are having. ( yes, I know, I know, many, many people go to the E.R. crying false pain just to get drugs for quick high but as I said, I am not referring to those people. At least not this blog)  They get the “medicine”, go home, get a little relief for a few days then right back at square one. It is a vicious cycle that can go on for weeks, months, even years or if the infection is bad enough, until it kills them.

       Some people would say, toughen up and deal with it, get a damn job and get your antibiotics. Easier said than done. I know for a fact, I have actually endured a similar scenario myself. Not exactly but similar. (another story to my colorful life that I may share down the road)  If Opioids are just a fraction of the cost of antibiotics, how can we expect people to not become addicted?

       Seriously, before you make a crass judgement on what I have said, the people this happens to or even me for that matter for writing this, stop and really think about it. Don’t just say you have but not actually put the effort into putting yourself in this instance. If you have ever experienced horrible, intense massive pain, (whether you are loaded, broke or somewhere in between) if you experienced such pain, you can picture yourself feeling this pain and imagining what you would do if you had no a minimum wage job, no job, no family, no friends. ( no-one that could or would help anyway) If you were completely alone and could not afford your antibiotics but just had enough cash to get the prescription of pain medicine, what would you do? Be honest now, there is no one to lie to here but yourself and what is the point in that?

     It is a truly sad and pathetic time we live in that a human being cannot trust or rely on the entirety of healthcare. Doctors today, are nothing like they once were. They used to actually stand for something. Now, it’s just a way to play God and make a lot of money doing so. Oh, I am sure there are still a few good ones left out there, somewhere.  I am going to copy and paste a few lines of what I found when I google Doctor.

Origins

Its roots can be traced to the early church when the term “doctor” referred to the Apostles, church fathers and other Christian authorities who taught and interpreted the Bible.The right to grant a licentia docendi was originally reserved to the church which required the applicant to pass a test, take an Oath of allegiance and pay a fee.

Here is another and I would like you to carefully think about what you are reading here. Don’t just read it, really look at it and see what it says. The same word used in two different manors, still, one real meaning. Think about it.

1. The definition of a doctor is someone with a doctorate or someone licensed to practice a healing art.
   1. An example of doctor is a professer with a doctorate in education.
   2. An example of doctor is a pediatrician.

verb

1. To doctor is defined as to alter, repair or change in order to mislead.
   1. An example of to doctor is adding salt to a bland meal.
   2. An example of to doctor is a waiter changing the tip amount on a signed credit card bill.

       The problem here, lies with our system and “the man”.

                            TO BE CONTINUED…